Lita Ford Gear Guide
Lita Ford’s Runaways and solo-era guitars, B.C. Rich customs, Marshall amplifiers and hard-rock lead setup.
A period-by-period quick reference to guitars, amplification, effects and songs. Specific gear may vary by recording, tour and year.
Guitars
| Gear / reference | Details | Era / use |
|---|---|---|
| Gibson SG | First serious electric guitar; accompanied her during The Runaways years. | 1970s |
| B.C. Rich Warlock | Angular signature-era solidbody for hard-rock performances. | Solo era |
| B.C. Rich Mockingbird | Custom turquoise instrument, later recovered after being stolen. | 1980s |
| B.C. Rich Bich double-neck | Custom compact double-neck commissioned to fit Ford’s reach. | Selected touring |
| B.C. Rich Eagle | Alternative carved-body instrument in her collection. | Selected years |
| Neal Moser Raven | Custom guitar requested with Kahler tremolo and DiMarzio Super Distortion pickups. | Recent project |
| Hamer Standard | Black and white Hamer guitars used during later Runaways period. | Late 1970s |
Amplifiers
| Gear / reference | Details | Era / use |
|---|---|---|
| Marshall JCM800 | Early-1980s British stack central to her hard-rock rig. | Runaways / solo |
| Marshall DSL100 | Gifted early DSL100; later used in rebuilt touring setup. | 2000s onward |
| Marshall cabinets | High-volume 4x12 cabinets pair with the head lineup. | Live |
| Marshall channel linking | Crossed channels on four-input amps for additional crunch. | SG / early setup |
| Kemper profiler | Modern amp-modeling option; Ford has contrasted its response with valve Marshalls. | Modern touring |
Effects and signal chain
| Gear / reference | Details | Era / use |
|---|---|---|
| DiMarzio Super Distortion | High-output humbuckers requested for a custom Raven guitar. | Recent custom build |
| Kahler tremolo | Requested on the Raven for expressive pitch movement. | Recent custom build |
| Built-in guitar effects | Some stage instruments have onboard effects, reducing external pedal needs. | Selected guitar |
| Wah | Expressive filter for solo phrasing. | Selected rigs |
| Overdrive from amp | Marshall preamp and power section provide the core saturation. | Classic tone |
| Double-neck switching | Rapid changes between six- and twelve-string parts. | Live |
Song and era references
| Gear / reference | Details | Era / use |
|---|---|---|
| Cherry Bomb | Runaways-era Gibson and Marshall foundation. | 1976 |
| Kiss Me Deadly | B.C. Rich and high-gain solo-era tone. | Lita |
| Close My Eyes Forever | Sustained lead tone and layered electric guitars. | Lita |
| Falling In and Out of Love | Hard-rock lead sound with B.C. Rich/Marshall character. | Dancin’ on the Edge |
| The Runaways catalog | SG and Hamer-era guitars precede Ford’s B.C. Rich signature years. | 1970s |